So (Frank) stupid, goddamn NHL. They removed the fighting with a visor penalty and added a removing the helmet to fight penalty. This sport is run by incompetent nba douche canoes.

Wait what?

I'm not sure I correctly understand what you're saying... Removing the helmet to fight is now a penalty? How in the name of anything does that make any sense.

Yes removing the helmet to fight is now two minutes.

The fighting with a visor penalty no longer exists.

Because the NHL is retarded.

Head injuries are at the forefront of discussion in sports. So it's either that or they abolish fighting altogether, which is what mainstream media types who don't follow the game shout to the high hills anytime someone sustains a serious injury in a fight. I'm not surprised, nor do I blame them for doing this.

The thing is that, with this rule in place, it will indirectly act as a major fighting deterrant, but the effect will be gradual ratther than immediate. Imagine 20 years from now when there are no visorless players left and everyone in the league has grown up wearing a visor and being subject to this rule. There will be hardly any fights at all.

Most of the fights these days are just staged bouts between two designated "fighters". While I do enjoy these for what they are, it's not really a big loss to see these go away. Something like 80% of players wear visors anyway. I don't have a problem with this at all.

Because, you know what else makes hockey shittier? Seeing someone lose their eyesight because they didn't wear a small piece of protective plastic.

"What happened was, I had 30-year-old eyes. I got hit and the doctor told me I had 60-year-old eyes," Pronger said. "I don't have very good peripheral vision. That so-called sixth sense? I used to have a really good one. Now, I couldn't feel anyone coming around a corner. My kids scare me all the time.

"That used to be what I was known for: knowing where everybody was; having a feel for who was around me. Now I don't have that."

"What happened was, I had 30-year-old eyes. I got hit and the doctor told me I had 60-year-old eyes," Pronger said. "I don't have very good peripheral vision. That so-called sixth sense? I used to have a really good one. Now, I couldn't feel anyone coming around a corner. My kids scare me all the time.

"That used to be what I was known for: knowing where everybody was; having a feel for who was around me. Now I don't have that."

You know that mother fucker would be playing if they cleared him from the concussion.

Ps visors don't keep people from getting hit in the eyes by pucks or sticks and they break noses and cut people all the time.

Surely some for of safety gear is necessary. The debate is where to draw the line.

Visors help protect players. I don't see what the big deal is. 80% of them wear visors anyway.

I agree that it's dumb that they get a penalty for taking off a hemet to fight. That's beyond dumb.

Make the wear visors, and make them take them off to fight.

Fight with your visor on and get kicked out of the game. People will start taking them off. Fighting purists will see helmetless and visorless fights, players won't have their eyes messed up and it's a win-win.

I think the players should be un-armored as much as possible. Sure, you'll see the odd eye get blasted, but the personality of the game will come back, and you'll see less severe injuries overall.

Unintended consequences. The high sticking problem? Largely due to players coming up with full shields. The concussion problem? Largely due to all the hard plastic pads, helmets, shields, etc... It used to be that when you hit, it hurt you a little bit too. Now, since the players can't hardly feel anything, they are literally trying to knock the wind out of each other, which leads to more severe hits and more severe injuries when someone gets clipped in the head.

The fact that the NHL has zero personality now compared to say, 30 years ago? Helmets and visors.

I don't know why I even watch this (Franking) garbage anymore. This game is a sad shell of its former glory.

So Pronger had 30 year old eyes and they turned into 60 year old eyes. I have a 31+ year old body and a 90 year old back. Should I wrap myself up in bubble wrap to avoid further injury? Players know the inherent risks when they decide to make the sport their life's work. Pitchers know they can have screaming line drives smack them in the face, quarterbacks know they'll have 350 pound linemen coming after them snap after snap, and hockey players know they'll have sticks flying and punishing body checks all night long, all season long. If they don't want to risk hideous injuries, play a non-contact sport like basketball.

Also, Goon is right. All the body armor has made the game more dangerous. If no one's wearing helmets, they'll think twice about dishing out a dangerous hit or getting the stick up because they know if they do hurt someone they have a big target on their back the rest of their career. Instead of constantly throwing the puck into the corner and having a battle on the boards, they can bring some skill back to the game.

Don't forget MacInnis. High stick to the eye... detached retina. Career over.

I don't care about mandatory visors. Makes no difference to me. I wore one when I played. If you get caught in the eye, your career could be over and that hurts the game, especially when it happens to star players.

I agree with Goon on the pads. Get rid of the hard plastic football-like shoulder pads and huge hard-as-a-rock elbow pads. That shit is dangerous. Go back to the soft pads with small plastic caps over the shoulders.I have some elbow pads that protect the shit out of my elbows...and you know what? It's all fabric, leather and foam. No plastic armor.

Everyone knows that crap is bad for the game...but no one does anything about it.

Al was wearing a visor when the second stick to eye (vs Nashville, 2003, iirc) occured, btw. I would have to try to hunt down video evidence, but I recall the stick went up Al's and the blade went under the visor, into his eye.

If someone chooses not to wear a shield and loses an eye, that's a damn shame, but many seem to think it's a personal concern of the fans, not the actual player. If they want to take that risk, let 'em, I says.

But I am really looking forward to the endless cycling by nondescript Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man players, one indistinguishable from the next. Makes for great entertainment.

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